Lethni is a short film produced and directed by Luigi Di Domenico and starring, produced, and choreographed by Irene Parisi which follows a young woman as she stares at the water of a fountain. What seems to be a state of hypnosis soon comes to reveal an inner desire and raw emotion.
While the film itself is quite short, lasting just 3 minutes 32 seconds, it comes as a fascinating experience to watch. First of all, the production quality is professional. From the gorgeous cinematography to its clever editing and music, the film succeeds in making us feel what our main character is going through as it sends us into a dreamy experience through which we connect with everything. Right from the opening image, filmmaker Luigi Di Domenico manages to capture the previously mentioned hypnotic mode before sending us in a dance that connects us to both our inner selves and the world outside.
If the film succeeds, it’s because we get to feel all of its emotions, how we can find ourselves seemingly trapped by our minds as well as our desire of connecting our deeper mind with the external world, and doing so beyond what’s expected. By going to the deepest side of our mind and ourselves, we are able to reconnect with our inner child who still sees the world as a playground, and how we want to feel and experience it all, even if that means dancing and connecting with immovable objects. By being alive and fully committed to what this means, we are able to create life into that that, by their own nature, doesn’t have any. And so, this film comes as a beautiful expression of wanting to create a connection between the inside and the outside and become one.
Now, none of this could have been possible without the film’s protagonist, Irene Parisi, who, as noted, was also responsible for creating this playful, lively choreography. Through her dancing, Parisi embodies not just a person, but a state of mind that many of us will be able to connect with, and that will leave us with a smile on our faces.
Finally, we also want to highlight the energic score from Anna Tretiagovà, Josef Kovài, and Alessandro Cornetta as it comes as the perfect companion for both Parisi’s dance and Di Domenico’s film.
Director’s Biography:
Luigi Di Domenico (Salerno, May 1, 1997) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. In 2016, he moved to Rome and attended the course “Directing and the Idea” at the digital creativity school Artithesi, where he studied under director Claudio Di Biagio and assistant director Riccardo Quarta. His work primarily focuses on social issues.
He made his debut in 2018 with the short film Martino, which was screened at around 30 international festivals and ranked among the 50 most awarded short films of the year according to cinemaitaliano.info.
In 2022, he presented Yohiro at the 76th edition of the Salerno International Film Festival. The film later received the award for Best Italian Film at the Barcelona Indie Awards.
That same year, he worked as the official videographer for the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR), following both the men’s and women’s national teams during their competitions, including the 2023 Rugby World Cup held in France.
In 2024, he directed his latest short film Marianna, a work of social denunciation that aims to shed light on environmental issues and the right to health.
Recommended for you
